Thermal Imaging

The case involved a Mr. Smith whos house was suspicious of growing marijuana. The police used thermal technology to scan Mr. smiths house where they found high amounts of heat. The police then got a search warrant and found marijuana growing in his house. Smith was then arrested and entered a conditional guilty plea. Now the high court had to make a decision that would challenge even the greatest lawyer and justice to ever step into the Supreme Court. The case started off with the lawyer for Smith making his case for Smith. The lawyer stated that that the thermal imaging on Smith's house was indeed a search and that this search was unecessary. His house and privacy were protected by the 4th amendment of the United States. The technology was not used properly and unconstitutionally viewed contents on the inside of Smith's home without a warrant. The thermal imaging devices should have not been able to view just his complex and if he was singled out then everyone should be subject to the same thermal imaging of their homes. In his final statements Smith's lawyer said that thermal imaging is infact a search and that the thermal imaging had no probably cause and he should go free for this violation of his 4th amendment. The next speaker was the lawyer representing the United States. The lawyer for the United States said that the thermal imaging device brought about a probable cause in the triplex and that he was previously suspected for having marijuana so they had to do it for public safety. He also pointed out that a warrant was issued for the search of his house. The United States lawyer ended his statement stating that Smith is a criminal and thermal imaging was used in the case of probable cause. The next speaker was the Solicitor General of the United States. The general was in favor of Smith. He stated that thermal imaging is a search. The thermal imager had no probable cause and that using this high tech device that no normal person can afford should be used without a warrant. The General finished with saying that Smith should go free for this because he was illegally searched. The fourth amendment of the constitution guards against unreasonable search and seizures when the search party has â€Å"reasonable expectation of privacy†. The amendment specifically requires search warrants be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause. It was adopted as a response to the abuse of search warrants in the American Revolution. The debate of the definition of search has been challenged in many cases in the history of the United States and is brought up again in this case. The Supreme Court ruled that a search occurs only when a person expects privacy in the thing search and society beliefves that expectation is reasonable. This was decided in Katz v. United States in 1967. In Katz the Court ruled that a search had occurred when the government wiretapped a telephone booth. Now seizure is the other part of the 4th amendment. A Seizure of propert occurs when there is meaningful interference by the government with an individual's possessory interests. The exclusionary rule also falls under seizure. The exclusionary rule states that voluntary answers to questions given to officers are offered into evidence in a ciminal prosecution. The government may not detain and individual even momentarily without reasonable, objective grounds, with few exceptions. The refusal to listen or answers does not answer these grounds. The invasion on people's privacy is only minimal and is usually only in speical cases. Some of these exceptions are at borders and ports of entry into the United States as well as Roadblocks. Another big part of this case was the question is a warrant needed. A warrant is issued by a judge and only then may a officer legally search someones property. Without this warrant it was unconstitutionally searched and therefore is void. Warrants are required for any search of property. Some exceptions to a warrant are Consent, Plain View, Open Fields, Curtilage, Motor Vehicles and Searches incident to a lawful arrest. Consent is if a part allows a search to happen. Plain view is if something is viewable by the officer he can confiscate it. Open Fields such as farm fields, opne water, and woods may be searched without a warrant. Curtilage is the outdoor area immediately surrounding the home, which is protected by the 4th amendment. Courts have determined that this area is an extension of the house and is subject to privacy. People in automobiles have reduced privacy because vehicles are not used as homes. Vehicles cannot be randomly stopped and searched , there must be probable cause or ciminal activity. With probable cause officers may search any area inside a car. However, they cannot search passenger without probable cause to search them. The Searches incident to a lawful arrest are used to prevent the arrested individual from destorying evidence or using a weapon against the officer. It is reasonalbe for the officer to search the area within the arrestee's immediate control. A search of lets say the room they were arrested in is acceptable. Now comes the issue of Probable Cause which was brought up many times in this case. The police must have legally sufficient reasons to believe that a search is necessary. And during this search they must uncover criminal activity or contraband. The Supreme Court had many cases involving Probable Cause. In Carrol V. United States the Supreme Court stated that probably cause to search is a â€Å"flexible, common-sense standard. † So the issue of probable cause can be a toss up and can't really be determined directly (Adapted from History Book and Wikipedia. com). If I were a justice on the Supreme Court I would rule in favor of Smith. The use of thermal imaging reveals the contents of the inside of his home. This violates his right of security and thus violates the 4th amendment. The officers did have probable cause to search his house because of his alleged marijuana growth. But that doesn't mean they could search his house without a warrant. They needed to get judicial consent before using the thermal imaging to search his house. Plus thermal imaging is not available to everyone so they could not use it without consent. Our class found Smith innocent. The police unlawfully searched his house with the use of thermal imaging. Even though we came to this verdict it could have easily gone the other way. It all is based on your view of the Constitution. Unless you are one of the people who wrote the Bill of Rights I guess we can never truly understand the constitution fully and it is proven with the countless cases brought to the Supreme Court over the years. I think instead of us trying to understand the constitution in our own ways, we should study the founding fathers into depth and learn the true meanings of their words and the reasons for why they created this great rules. Even with the addition of new technologies and advanced software we need to continue to look back at our roots which created this great nation. If we do not do this our nation will likely fall due to our own negligence and feeling of superiority over everyone in the world. We need to learn from our mistakes and build a more simpler life as they had back in the 1700s. Only then will we truly understand The Constitution and the reasons for why we have made it this far as a nation.

Frank Reade essays

Frank Reade essays In this interesting novel well worth the dime, our main character, Frank Reade, chases a gang of characters known as the James boys in a mechanical-horse drawn carriage. In this novel our characters are searching for the supposed hidden treasure of a wealthy family. In this time period novels cost a dime, and were written so they sounded believable. This story seems to me to be pretty believable, certain inventions seemed a little outlandish, but they did didnt seem to be ahead of there time. This was mostly because this was a pioneering period. Throughout the novel we come in contact with four important characters. One of which is Frank Reade, a young inventor and the main character is a character whom we are allowed to connect with on another level from most other main characters. The three other characters in this novel are Brass and Buttons who are two New York Detectives that act as Reades entourage. We also come in contact with the Professor who writes in his journal often. The Professor talks often of his dislike of violence but mysteriously has the best aim and shot out of the group. Two other characters we meet and no less about are Frank and Jesse James, otherwise known as the James Brothers. And they were not fond of the Reade posse, nor vise-versa. Though we never see a resolution, the plot is the suspenseful Reade-James Brothers chase. This novel like others seems to have sub-plot; such as digging for gold and the disbanding horses. Something interesting to me in this story was the interior monologues. This allowed me to feel connected to and with the character. There are many examples of this through out the novel, like when he grads the reigns of the James brothers horses. While hes hanging there we see his interior monologue as he plans ways to recapture the horses, stop the James brothers, and live to do all this. I also enjoyed the future resolutions ...

Overview of Mali History and Independence

Overview of Mali History and Independence Malians express great pride in their ancestry. Mali is the cultural heir to the succession of ancient African empires – Ghana, Malinkà ©, and Songhai – that occupied the West African savannah. These empires controlled Saharan trade and were in touch with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern centers of civilization. Kingdoms of Ghana and Malinkà © The Ghana Empire, dominated by the Soninke or Saracolà © people and centered in the area along the Malian-Mauritanian frontier, was a powerful trading state from about A.D. 700 to 1075. The Malinkà © Kingdom of Mali had its origins on the upper Niger River in the 11th century. Expanding rapidly in the 13th century under the leadership of Soundiata Keita, it reached its height about 1325, when it conquered Timbuktu and Gao. Thereafter, the kingdom began to decline, and by the 15th century, it controlled only a small fraction of its former domain. Songhai Empire and Timbuktu The Songhai Empire expanded its power from its center in Gao during the period 1465-1530. At its peak under Askia Mohammad I, it encompassed the Hausa states as far as Kano (in present-day Nigeria) and much of the territory that had belonged to the Mali Empire in the west. It was destroyed by a Moroccan invasion in 1591. Timbuktu was a center of commerce and of the Islamic faith throughout this period, and priceless manuscripts from this epoch are still preserved in Timbuktu. (International donors are making efforts to help preserve these priceless manuscripts as part of Malis cultural heritage.) The Arrival of the French French military penetration of the Soudan (the French name for the area) began around 1880. Ten years later, the French made a concerted effort to occupy the interior. The timing and resident military governors determined methods of their advances. A French civilian governor of Soudan was appointed in 1893, but resistance to French control did not end until 1898 when the Malinkà © warrior Samory Tourà © was defeated after 7 years of war. The French attempted to rule indirectly, but in many areas, they disregarded traditional authorities and governed through appointed chiefs. From French Colony to French Community As the colony of French Soudan, Mali was administered with other French colonial territories as the Federation of French West Africa. In 1956, with the passing of Frances Fundamental Law (Loi Cadre), the Territorial Assembly obtained extensive powers over internal affairs and was permitted to form a cabinet with executive authority over matters within the Assemblys competence. After the 1958 French constitutional referendum, the Republique Soudanaise became a member of the French Community and enjoyed complete internal autonomy. Independence as the Republic of Mali In January 1959, Soudan joined Senegal to form the Mali Federation, which became fully independent within the French Community on 20 June 1960. The federation collapsed on 20 August 1960, when Senegal seceded. On 22 September Soudan proclaimed itself the Republic of Mali and withdrew from the French Community. Socialist Single-Party State President Modibo Keita – whose party Union Soudanaise-Rassemblement Dà ©mocratique Africain (US-RDA, Sudanese Union-African Democratic Rally) had dominated pre-independence politics – moved quickly to declare a single-party state and to pursue a socialist policy based on extensive nationalization. A continuously deteriorating economy led to a decision to rejoin the Franc Zone in 1967 and modify some of the economic excesses. Bloodless Coup by Lieutenant Moussa Traorà © On 19 November 1968, a group of young officers staged a bloodless coup and set up a 14-member Military Committee for National Liberation (CMLN), with Lt. Moussa Traorà © as Chairman. The military leaders attempted to pursue economic reforms but for several years faced debilitating internal political struggles and the disastrous Sahelian drought. A new constitution, approved in 1974, created a one-party state and was designed to move Mali toward civilian rule. However, the military leaders remained in power. Single Party Elections In September 1976, a new political party was established, the Union Dà ©mocratique du Peuple Malien (UDPM, Democratic Union of the Malian People) based on the concept of democratic centralism. Single-party presidential and legislative elections were held in June 1979, and General Moussa Traorà © received 99% of the votes. His efforts at consolidating the single-party government were challenged in 1980 by student-led, anti-government demonstrations, which were brutally put down, and by three coup attempts. The Road to Multi-Party Democracy The political situation stabilized during 1981 and 1982 and remained generally calm throughout the 1980s. Shifting its attention to Malis economic difficulties, the government worked out a new agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, by 1990, there was growing dissatisfaction with the demands for austerity imposed by the IMFs economic reform programs and the perception that the President and his close associates were not themselves adhering to those demands. As demands for multiparty democracy increased the Traorà © government allowed some opening of the system (the establishment of an independent press and independent political associations) but insisted that Mali was not ready for democracy. Anti-Government Rioting In early 1991, student-led, anti-government rioting broke out again, but this time government workers and others supported it. On 26 March 1991, after 4 days of intense anti-government rioting, a group of 17 military officers arrested President Moussa Traorà © and suspended the constitution. Amadou Toumani Tourà © took power as the Chairman for the Transitional Committee for the Salvation of the People. A draft constitution was approved in a referendum on 12 January 1992 and political parties were allowed to form. On 8 June 1992, Alpha Oumar Konarà ©, the candidate of the Alliance pour la Dà ©mocratie en Mali (ADEMA, Alliance for Democracy in Mali), was inaugurated as the President of Malis Third Republic. President Konarà © Wins Election In 1997, attempts to renew national institutions through democratic elections ran into administrative difficulties, resulting in a court-ordered annulment of the legislative elections held in April 1997. It demonstrated, however, the overwhelming strength of President Konarà ©s ADEMA Party, causing some other historic parties to boycott subsequent elections. President Konarà © won the presidential election against scant opposition on 11 May. Amadou Toumani Tourà © General elections were organized in June and July 2002. President Konare did not seek reelection since he was serving his second and last term as required by the constitution. Retired General Amadou Toumani Tourà ©, former head of state during Malis transition (1991-1992) became the countrys second democratically elected President as an independent candidate in 2002 and was reelected to a second 5-year term in 2007. Source Public Domain, US Department of State Background Notes.

Health Care Public Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Health Care Public Policy - Essay Example In the United States (US), the concept of public policy encompasses the process of decision making and analysis of governmental decision. Health care on the other hand refers to the constant monitory, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, illness or other physical body problems and the preservation of the physical wellbeing of human beings (Proctor & Smith 89). Health care public policy therefore basically refers to a settled opinion by members of the public concerning the manner in which issues of public health are handled across a country or state. Introduction States, countries and jurisdictions have different policies regarding to public health. Actually the configuration of the health care machinery varies from country to country, state to state but according to the World Health Organization (WHO), a well functional health care system should rest on adequate financing mechanisms, adequately trained and paid staff, decision making and policy formulation based on reliable informati on, well maintained facilities and advanced technologies in delivering health care. According to Charles Frame, an expert in market research and customer satisfaction at the Emory School of Medicine, it makes sense to have very basic level of healthcare for everybody. Members of the public are very influential in the process of policy formulation and therefore it is important for them to hold thorough knowledge of what policies, precisely health care policy entails and their rights and responsibilities in its formulation. State of health care system in the United States United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the history of the world yet its health care system can be described as unsatisfactory. To start with, the spending in the health care sector is rather high representing around 17% of the country’s GDP. Despite the high spending, the outcomes of the health care sector are not any better as compared to other countries that spend lower per capita such as Switze rland and Netherland. The cost of health care has actually risen over the recent years as observed by Allan Hubbard, Chairman, E & A Industries. He noted that the cost of a family insurance 19 years ago was $3000 but has currently risen to $12000 (as at 2008). The major problem according to Professor Herzlinger (20) is not to achieve a universal coverage but rather to get the value for money spent on health care. She therefore suggested three common theories that can improve the quality of services. These are; Managed competition. She suggested that the insurance system should be made private and consumers given the right to shop for their insurance. This would create a competitive environment among the insurers and consequently, quality would be achieved. Single payer. In this theory, she suggested that the government, as the single payer would control all resources, would have massive scale and could squeeze inefficiency and waste out of the system. Finally, she suggested the theo ry of Consumer-driven health care. This is an approach where the consumers are given their money and the opportunity to seek insurance and health care services by themselves. Although effective policies may be formulated and implemented, one of the most effective approach in addressing the issue of health care is through prevention not cure. It has been noted that majority of the health problems among the citizens of United States are life style

Capital Investment Proposal of Mineral Plc Essay - 8

Capital Investment Proposal of Mineral Plc - Essay Example The objective of this report, therefore, is to consider the soundness of the proposed capital investment from the angles of financial feasibility, country risk of Medco Republic and the foreign exchange risk in undertaking transactions in the currency of Medco Republic as against the British Pounds as the investments the commitment of substantially larger sums by the Company to be recouped over a longer period. The analysis is based on a review of the net cash flows from the project using the recognized capital budgeting evaluation methods of Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR), taking the weighted average cost of capital of the Company of 15% as the hurdle rate and the rate for discounting the present value of future cash flows from the project.Financial Feasibility The financial feasibility of any capital investment proposal can be judged based on the ability of the project to enhance the shareholders’ wealth by contributing positive net cash inflows from the proposed investments. Just any other domestic capital project is being evaluated, for the international investments can also be evaluated by calculating the ‘Net Present Value’ (NPV) future cash flows expected out of the project. The NPV of the project depends on the initial investment or initial cash flow, expected future cash flows and the cost of capital. Based on the comparison of the NPV of the future cash flows with the proposed capital investment the feasibility of the project can be established. While working out the NPV the effect of the factors like Sales creation (additional sales), cannibalization (loss of sales), opportunity cost, transfer pricing and fees and royalties on the future cash flows should be taken into account. The Internal Rate of Return (IRR ) is the other criterion that needs to be carefully looked into while deciding on the capital investment.In the case of the proposed capital investment proposals, the NPV and IRR from the projects have been worked out and exhibited in the Appendix. From the NPV calculations, it is observed that the project has a negative net present value which implies that the project is not acceptable.

The management of people Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The management of people - Essay Example Management is a serious task (Aguilar, 2002). Low team morale is a hindrance to success in any project and it is the Manager's responsibility not only to make sure that the project is successful, but also see that the team is satisfied. People work in projects to make something for people. The problems in projects are human problems. For every technical, financial or schedule problem there is a human problem behind it. The most significant resource any business has is its people. A significant element in managing a complicated project knows how to manage the most precious asset the human resources. Perhaps the greatest challenge that is presented by a global project is the management of the human resource pools. This is true at a macro or overall staffing levels and micro or delegation of work to labour pools level. Management is now assuming a greater role to strategic business partners (Holsapple and Joshi. 2000). Successful businesses realize that true competitive advantage lies in the people. Businesses have been forced to redefine the responsibilities and develop a compelling response for critics who dispute human resource's value to the bottom-line. Management has been around since the dawn of civilization (Terry, 1960). In primitive societies almost everybody had to do physical labour. To break away from this burden, about the only choices were going into politics (kings) or religion (priests). Complications arise in tracing the history of management. Others see it by definition as a late modern in the sense of late modernity conceptualization (Ahmed, Lim, and Zairi. 1999). On those terms it cannot have a pre-modern history, only harbingers. Others, on the other hand, detect management-like activities in the pre-modern past. Civilized urban societies led to more specialization, produced new vocational alternatives to manual labour, and saw a tendency of those who did not work with the hands to look down on those who did. Others argue modern management as a discipline started as an off-shoot of economics in the 19th century (Drucker. 1988). Economists provided a theoretical background to resource allocation, production, and pri cing issues (Conceicao, Gibson, Heitor, and Shariq. 1997). About the same time, innovators produced elements of technical production such as standardization, quality-control procedures, cost-accounting, interchange ability of parts, and work-planning. Many of these aspects of management existed in the ante-bellum (pre-1861) US slave-based economy. There, 4 million people were, as the contemporary usages had it, managed in profitable quasi-mass production. By the late 19th century, a new layer of complexity is introduced to the theoretical underpinnings of management (Bennis, 1989). The first tertiary-level course in management in 1881 is offered. Management of People provides managers and human resource professionals with skills and knowledge for managing the people aspects of strategic implementation (McWilliams, Abagail, and Siegel 1999). In the early 21st century, it was easy to see the development of a "third wave" in these well-established concepts (Stacey, 1992). Just as the 21st century has seen new types of organizations and new ways of doing business arise, so, too, will there

The Green Programs Of Marriott International Corporation Tourism Essay

The Green Programs Of Marriott International Corporation Tourism Essay Since 1987, the concept of sustainability was mentioned on a coordinated international platform, the movement towards sustainability had been expanded over the globe. The governmental and non-governmental organizations, corporations and consumers those focusing on exist in harmony are increasingly with the surroundings and environmental footprints. The hospitality industry also not exception, therefore the sustainability concept had begun to gain the momentum in this industry. (Ernst and Young, 2008) Alison Sperry (2010) defined that Going Green is making the daily decisions with responsible that benefits to the environment and also can reduce waste and pollution. This concept also encourages a lifestyle of recycling, using chemical-free products, using the alternative energy sources such as the wind and solar, and reducing the dependency on fossil fuels for energy. Hotel businesses developed and operated by the consumption of significant amounts of natural resources which are affected the sustainability of the natural environment. The field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) therefore, has grown considerably over the last decade due to an increasing number of companies formally recognising the impacts they have on the environment, on society and on the economy (Jones et.al, 2006). Ernst and Young (2008) defined that green: not a black and white issue. The travellers that concerned about the environment were increasingly and they always make their own determination as to what constitutes greenness in the lodging industry. According to Deloitte Survey (2008) showed that, consumers, employees and individual travellers start to concerned more about the hospitality industrys sustainability. Most of the individuals also start to changes their lifestyles and accepting higher green standards for themselves and also to the companies that they cooperate with. Marriott International has more than twenty-year commitment to start the environmental preservation. The Marriott International is working toward a greener, healthier planet and their operating units are employ methods to protect the surroundings of natural and resources (Marriott, 1996 2010). Every year, the Marriott International and its owners had spent around 10 billion just for buy the products and services for its 3,300 hotels around the world. Marriott International also expanding its green hotels and buildings portfolios. Besides that, approximately 275 of Marriotts hotels have received the ENERGY STAR ® label from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Marriott, 1996 2010). Last but not least, Marriott International also was ranked 42nd out of 100 in The Greenest Big Companies on Newsweeks first-ever list. Moreover, Marriott International also gets the 2009 Tourism for Tomorrow Award for Sustainability in the categories of the Global Tourism Business by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) (Marriott, 1996 2010). The Problem Statement The problem of this topic is about how Marriott International. Inc. practices their going green programs in their properties. Marriott International Corporation is a leading worldwide hospitality company (Marriott, 2010). Currently, Marriott has more than 3100 of lodging properties is in the United States and 65 is in other countries and territories through 17 lodging, and vacation resort ownership brands (Marriott, 2009). Marriott Corporation has more than twenty year commitment with environmental preservation (Marriott, 2010). In 2007, Marriott formed a Global Green Council, a cross-functional team of senior executives that collaborated with Conservation International, a global environmental organization, to evaluate its practices, set long-term goals, develop an environmental strategic plan and catalyze its progress (Marriott, 2010). Five-point Environmental Strategy of Marriott International was developed in collaboration with Conservation International which are includes (Marriott, 2009): Reduce Consumption of Water, Waste and Energy Greener Buildings, expansion of LEED-certified hotels Greening Supply Chain Protecting the Rainforest with Carbon Offsets Employee Guest Engagement Over the last decade, for, the Marriott International corporate organized the Going Green programs which involved in energy conservation by changed 450,000 of the light bulbs with fluorescent lighting, installed around 400,000 low-flow of showerheads and toilets and also introduced the linens reuse programs in their hotels worldwide (Marriott, 2009). Besides that, the Marriotts Retro-Commissioning (MRCx) program, planning process and a comprehensive evaluation that helps their properties which conducted more than 30 of their largest properties become as energy efficient as possible (Marriott, 2009). Through the projects to completed over last few years and those which currently under way, Marriott anticipate saving 12 million kilowatts of power (Marriott, 2009). In general, properties find that after it implement all the recommendations that evolved from an MRCx assessment, it energy costs decrease 5 to 25 per cent, they are also achieving on the average and a payback on their invest ment in just 1.4 years (Marriott, 2009). In the Americas, Marriott achieved a 2.2 per cent reduction per available room (Marriott, 2009). In late 2009, through a partnership with a U.S.-based landscaping company, Marriott adopted a climate-specific approach to landscaping, using native plants and restricted colour palettes to reduce irrigation demands and cut the amount of fertilizer required to keep plants healthy (Marriott, 2009). In 2009, Marriotts landfill waste in the USA totalled 726,993 tons which reflects a 17 per cent reduction from 2007(Marriott, 2009). Additionally, its recycling rate also was increased to 69 per cent and all the header quarters waste also was diverted from the landfill to the waste-to-energy plant (Marriott, 2009). Also, Marriott expanding its existing of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle programs that already in place of 90 per cent of hotels which included guest room and meeting rooms (Marriott, 2009). Forty Marriott International hotels are expected to receive the LEED certification from the USGBC (USGBC, 2010). In addition, Marriott internationals global Headquarters in Bethesda was received the LEED-Existing Building Gold status (USGBC, 2010). Moreover, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also had awarded Marriott International for three following years with its Sustained Excellence Award and more than 275 of its hotels also placed the ENERGY STAR ® label (Marriott, 2010). Marriott has teamed up with many Corporation or organizations to help them support their efforts to preserve and protect the environment (Marriott, 2009). For instance, Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS), Conservation International, ENERGY STAR ®, International Tourism Partnership (ITP), and U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Marriotts protecting the rainforest strategy is help to protect 1.4 million of acres in endangered rainforest for the Juma Sustainable Development Reserve (Marriott, 2009). Research Questions The followings are some key questions addressed by his research: Is the Marriott International had practiced the going green? How the Marriott International practiced the going green in this industry? Why the Marriott international will practiced the going green? What level of going green programs of Marriott International? What differences between Marriott Internationals going green program with other companies? Does the going green program increase the income of Marriott International? Research Objectives To answer the above research questions, this study seek to accomplish the following objectives: To investigate going green practiced among all Marriott Internationals properties. To determine how the Marriott International practiced the going green. To determine the reasons of Marriott International practiced the going green. To examine the level of going green practiced among all Marriott Internationals properties. To compare the level of going green with other companies. To determine the advantages and disadvantages of going green in Marriott International. To defined the relation between hospitality industry and CSR. Theoretical/ Conceptual Framework Conceptual Framework Marriott International. Inc. Going Greens Programs The strategies and programs of going green in Marriott International. Inc. Identify the concept and structure of CSR in hospitality industry. The Actions that practices by Marriott International corporate. Theoretical Framework This research mostly searches on the Marriott International Corporate practising the level of going green in most of their properties. The reason why Marriott International become famous in going green program because their organized a lot of events or activities to greening their companies. In the internet or newspaper, we can see that Marriott International corporate organized a lot of activities in greening and get a lot of award internationally in greening program. Besides that, their also is one of the famous go green corporate in the world. Moreover, the going green is not easy to practices in the companies because it need a lot of resources to make it really work. Scope and Limitation This study was carried out among all Marriott International in going green program. The Marriott International, Inc.s operations are grouped into the five business segments which are North American Limited-Service Lodging, North American Full-Service Lodging, Luxury Lodging, International Lodging and Timeshare. This study also for defined the level of go green in Marriott International Corporate by Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Significance of the Study The significant of this research proposal is to evaluate the level of going green activities that practices or organized by Marriott International Corporate. According to The New York Times (2009), the Marriott International announced that they would no longer deliver newspapers to every guestroom in the morning. They only will deliver to which guest rooms had requested a newspaper or can pick one up in the lobby. Although that change is arguably as much about saving money more than saving trees. Marriott had assessed that it would reduce the newspaper distribution at its hotels to about 18 million only annually. Furthermore, this research is for acknowledge people around the world to know how important and advantages of going green in hospitality industries now a days. Now, most of the knowledge people are targeting the greening companies to cooperate with than normal companies. This is why more and more companies going to practising greening in their company because followed by the trend of all around the world. CHAPTER TWO Literature Review 2.1 Introduction The literature review will begin with an essential understanding of the key points needed in order to accomplish the aim of the project. The research will be analysed in the literature to help construct an academic structure on the definition and concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The literature will also evaluate the purpose of sustainable development in the hospitality industry and its advantages and limitations. One area which has been particularly analysed is the going green programmes that practice by the hospitality industry as it contains most of the key areas. Furthermore, the literature reviews also analysing the views, theories arguments and perspectives of previous authors for assessment. The literature reviews also will finally perform as a source with which to analyse the differing perspectives on these key points identify gaps for argument and highlight key issues associated with going green programme in hospitality. 2.2 Corporate Social Responsibility Definitions and Concepts The field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has grown considerably over the last decade due to an increasing number of companies formally recognising the impacts they have on the environment, on society and on the economy (Jones et.al, 2006). CSR issues are now being combined into all parts of the business operations. CSR is made in the missions, visions and value statements of companies all around the world (Ofori and Hinson, 2007). Definitions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) have, however, remained an area of deliberation from the concepts very beginnings. A variety of definitions have been framed. The Commission of the European Communities, Brussels (2001, p.6 ) defines CSR as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a concept whereby companies integrate environmental and social concerns in the business operations and in their interactions with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis. Therefore, CSR is not just fulfilling legal responsibilities but may also go beyond compliance to embrace wider social, environmental and economic goals (Brussels, 2001). The concept of CSR is one which has emerged over the last 50 years to occupy a significant role in certain aspects of organisational theory and has only been in wide use since the 1960s (Meehan et al., 2006). CSR was eventually recognised as businesses that are part of society and have the potential to make a positive impact to the social goals (Jones et al., 2006). CSR therefore seems to be synonymous with charitable and voluntary acts by business organisations designed to improve social skills. Conversely, Donaldson and Preston (1995) believe that businesses are not responsible to society but responsible to their stakeholders and view CSR from this perspective. Furthermore, one of most cited definitions of CSR is defined by the World Bank (2003), which defines CSR as the responsibility of businesses to contribute to the sustainable economic development which working with internal stakeholders, the local community, and society to improve the quality of life which is positive for business and development. The similarity among these different definitions of CSR is that companies should engage in CSR behaviour as part of their organisational strategy. Bevan et al. (2004) list nine potential benefits of CSR which include reduced operating costs; improved profitability and financial performance; enhanced capability to innovate; better risk and crisis management; long-term sustainability for companies and the workforce; improved staff commitment and involvement; good relations with government and society; enhanced reputation and brand value; and enhanced customer relationships and increased awareness of customer needs. 2.3 The Sustainability Development of the Hotel Industry International Tourism Partnership (2010) defines the term green in business as initially related to the environmental issues. It also has evolved to include all aspects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability. Sloan et al. (2009) define a sustainable hospitality operation as one which manages its resources in such a way that economic, social and environmental benefits are maximised in order to meet the need of the present generation while protecting and increasing opportunities for future generations. According to Green Hotels Association (2010), Green Hotels have gained a foothold in lodging operators contribution to societys concern for the environment which focuses on programmes which are designed to reduce solid waste, save water and save energy. Programme components such as towel rack hangers and sheet-changing cards have achieved positive responses by hotel management staff as well as guests for over ten years. The UK hotel sector would appear to accept that it does have an impact on the environment (Brown, 1996). This is not only confirmed by exploratory research but also through the formation of the International Tourism Partnership (ITP). The ITP has published an environmental magazine, the Green Hotelier, whose readership cares about environmentally and socially responsible hotel behaviour as focused on positive sustainable travel and tourism development (International Tourism Partnership, 2010). According to research by the Carbon Trust (Green hotelier, 2010), rising energy prices and taxes are the biggest worries facing the British hospitality industry in 2010. This view is supported by Alexander and Kennedy (2002) who find that the most wasteful and costly of resources usage in hotels are commonly in the consumption of over water usage, non-renewable energy and also the overall wastage. 2.4 The state of CSR within the Hospitality and Tourism Industry The state of CSR within hospitality and tourism enterprises may be slightly different from that in other businesses. Since 1992, the trend in the hospitality and tourism industry has been to focus on environmental concerns, use of technology, and efficient use of energy (Henderson, 2001). European hospitality organisations have established two initiatives that improve CSR in the European hospitality sector which are European Federation of Food and Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT) and Green Hotels (Holcomb, 2007). In 2004, the EFFAT and the Confederation of National Associations of Hotels, Cafà ©s and Restaurants in Europe drafted the agreement parameters for employers to sign a joint document on CSR, concerning working conditions, pay, equal opportunity, training, health and safety, and restructuring (The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 2008). These combined actions would appear to show the hospitality industrys adoption of and commitment to socially respo nsible behaviour as opposed to externally derived governmental compliance directives. 2.5 Green initiatives, incentives and green wash Nunes and Bennett (2010) list two categories of green initiatives that are operational in the marketplace. Firstly, businesses focus on integrating green features into the design or characteristics of individual products, for instance, developing a laundry detergent that is eco-friendly. Secondly, larger proportions of resources have been committed to reductions in the amount of waste generated and energy used, and also to building green and limiting CO2 emissions from production. In a major study, Alexander and Kennedy (2002) propose a Zero Waste Approach that includes energy efficiency, water conservation and solid waste reduction, which can increase efficiency, provide cost savings, reduce the burden of extraction from and waste to nature, and allow more resources to be available. This view is supported by Nunes and Bennett (2010) who suggest that, ideally, green behaviour should go beyond simply creating a recyclable product to a more holistic incorporation of sustainable values into a corporations core principles and values. Bohdanowicz et al. (2005) finds that the availability of facility-specific data and access to information on the relevant best practice are essential for assessing and benchmarking the environmental performance of hotel facilities. Alexander and Kennedy (2002) suggest an option for conserving energy which is implement energy-efficient projects in space heating and cooling systems. For instance, The Hyatt Regency International Hotel in New Zealand developed a project to link energy use with room occupancy which has saved $14,000 of energy annually (Hyatt, 2010). Alexander and Kennedy (2002) suggest that low-flow shower heads and tap aerators are some options for water conservation, which are becoming common among hotel facilities, and the payback period can be three years depending on the extent of the project. For instance, Green Hotels Association (2010) observed water use in the La Quinta Inn, San Antonio that had saved 180,000 gallons of water per year by installing ultra-flow toi lets, low-flow shower heads and aerating taps in each room. In addition, Priesnitz (2008, p.14 ) defines greenwash as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.the acts of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service. Whellams and MacDonald (2007) label the corporations as greenwashers if they spend more on corporate image advertising that boasts about humanitarian programmes than on the programmes themselves, for instance, charities, donations or contributions. Greenwashing can have fatal effects on a companys trustworthiness. This view is supported by Priesnitz (2008) who points out that not only are a firms customers deceived, but, that greenwashing can also ruin relationships with all stakeholders. 2.6 Case study of Accor and Hilton Based on their total room number and location of their hotels, the two hotel groups selected for case study were Accor Hotel Group (Europe) and Hyatt Corporation (USA), being in 2009 the top 10 hotel groups in UK (Caterersearch, 2010). Marriott International Corporate also is one of the top 10 hotel groups in UK. Company Number of hotels Number of rooms Number of hotels worldwide 1 Whitbread Hotel Company 577+ 40,000+ 580 2 InterContinental Hotels Group 248 34,955 4,200 3 Travelodge (Dubai  International Capital) 372 23,150 380+   4 Accor Hotels 138 19,996 4,000 5 Hilton Hotels Corporation 78 16,566 3,200   6 Best  Western 285 15,305 4,035   7 Wyndham Worldwide 122 12,274 7,000 8   Marriott Hotels 58 12,015 3,200   9 Carlson  Hotels Worldwide   50 9,718 1,030 10   The  Rezidor Hotel Group  Ã‚   42 7.759 380 Table 1: Top 10 Hotel Groups in the UK, 2009 by number of bedrooms. (Caterersearch, 2010) Accor Group Hotels Accor currently manages 4,100 hotels under 13 different brands worldwide (Accor, 2010). The philosophy of Accor Corporation is respect for diverse cultures and incorporating environmental best practices in all its properties operations (Accor, 2010). The goals of their Earth Guest programme, launched in 2006, are to reduce water and energy consumption, promote balanced nutrition and to double, in three years, the number of hotels that offer fair-trade products (Accor, 2010). The programme is divided into two parts which are a social responsibility development area (EGO) and an environmental responsibility development area (ECO) (Accor, 2010). EGO is includes programmes for local development, the protection of children, combating of epidemics and the promotion of healthy eating. Besides that, the ECO is includes the reduction of water and energy usage and the preservation of biodiversity, as well as the upgrading of waste sorting and recycling (Accor, 2008 and 2009). The Hoteliers Environmental Charter is Accors internal benchmarking tool and provides the local hotel managers with guidelines for environmentally sustainable business practices. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (2010), the 88% of 4,000 Accors properties has adopted Hoteliers Environmental Charter. The Charter gives hotel managers and employees clear instructions on how resources can be saved in the areas of energy, water and waste (Accor, 2008). The first and second point of Hoteliers Environmental Charter considers is energy and water (Accor, 2010). Compact fluorescent light bulbs are used in 82% hotels for areas that remain light 24 hours a day (Accor, 2010). Accor also continued to promote the use of renewable energy sources, installing solar-powered hot water systems in 32 hotels in 2009, with a total of 99 hotels now equipped worldwide (Accor, 2009). Accor is actively involved in water conservation measures and water usage per occupied room, total was reduced 4% between 2006 and 2009 (Accor, 2009). Moreover, flow-regulators have now been installed in showers and faucets in 89% of hotels (Accor, 2009). Accor actively promotes waste sorting and recycling as well as eco-designed products for instance, 51% of hotels recover paper, cardboard and glass (Accor, 2008). Accor has improved its performance in waste management by manage with a dedicated waste management module that monitor the amount of waste produced per room, the recovery rate and the cost of waste disposal (Accor, 2009). Waste Traceability mainly concerns the separation of waste, where the company already achieves a high score in France owing to its proactive information policy (Accor, 2008). According to Accor (2010), their hotel prefers eco-labelled suppliers. In 2002, Accor dispatched an environmental purchasing charter to its purchasing organisations as well as to over 2,000 preferred suppliers (Sloan et al., 2009). Hilton Hotels Currently, Hilton Hotels Corporation has more than 3,200 hotels and 525,000 rooms in 77 countries. In 2009, Hilton is new global headquarters in McLean, Virginia which meets the highest environmental standard for his design, operation and construction (Environmental Leader, 2009). Besides that, the sustainability target that aims in coming 2014 by Hilton Hotels was announced. Those include: 20 per cent: Reducing energy consumption from direct operations; 20 per cent: Reducing output of waste; 20 per cent: Reducing CO2 emissions; And 10 per cent: Reducing the water consumption. Furthermore, Hilton had already started to green its properties operations. Hilton says that it was reduced CO2 emissions in Hilton hotels that participating by more than 64,000 tons or 56 per cent of its carbon footprint. Those are from the introduction of carbon-free electricity at its properties in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Moreover, they also said that, it has also reduced around 10 per cent in over the last two years for the water consumption and energy usage. Hilton Hotels also reported that, in May it has delivered more than 10 per cent in last year of energy savings which across more than 80 hotels in the Europe. Summary In 2007, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives had conducted a survey which showed that, only 1/3 of corporate travel policies had promoted the sustainable tourism. Most of the major hotel chains are looking the ways to participate in green concept to their hotels; the water and energy conservation became popular ways to greening. Therefore, Marriott International has set their goal to lowering the GHG emissions around 2.2 million pounds by 2010 which said by Ed Fuller- the president and managing director of Marriott. Besides that, Wolfgang Neuman of Hilton Hotels also looking toward the eco-friendly in solar heating, air-conditioning and heat recovery systems to extract the water waste from another system and use it in other ways in short term period. As well as the 200 of Accors hotels in France will have Solar Panels by 2010. CHAPTER THREE Methodology 3.1 Introduction In this research, in order to obtain the broad of knowledge about environmental operating practise in the hotel industry, a wide range of secondary sources will be reviewed. In addition, research strategy adopted was to conduct multiple case studies in two top hotel and Marriott companies in Europe and the USA. The main data collection techniques used in this research study was documentation analysis and content analysis. This chapter is divided into three sections. First, the interpretive stance in the field of information system is examined; second section is about the construction of the secondary research design which deals with the research design and covers the reasons for selecting resources; third section is describes the research approach followed in case study research. 3.2 Research Design Currently, the secondary literatures have increase rapidly, particularly as new resources which are developed or ready through the internet (Saunders et al., 2009). In this research project, secondary research will allow the research to incorporate suitable and reliable data of green operation initiative in hospitality, so that all the gathered data can respond to the research questions relating to the green activities of hotel in Europe and the USA. Secondary research differs from primary research in the collection of the documentary is not the responsibility of the analyst. Stewart and Kamins (1993) was point out that the analyst enters the picture after the data collection effort is over in secondary research. On the other hand, in primary research, the analyst is responsible for the design of research, the collection of data and the analysis and summary of the information (Stewart and Kamins, 1993). Secondary data although, has lack of direct control of the date, type, and procedure for collecting and recording of the data (Sauder et al, 2009), however, secondary data is more financial and time saving. For instance, secondary data particularly not necessary to wait for or pay to marketing researchers for a research project to collect primary data. By using secondary data, author can has more time and effort in analysing and interpreting the data, as it has already been collected. Secondary research moreover may increase the quality of the research by targeting the real dilemma and mistakes. Consultation on secondary resources increases the efficiency of the research by targeting real gaps and oversights in knowledge. Primary research therefore has not been used in this project due to the wide variety of secondary data has been found. Primary research methods such as, questionnaires or interviews will not provide relevant information for this topic. On this basis, it can be concluded that secondary research is the main source of information provided in this study including information from academic journals, books, corporate reports and internet. Nevertheless, author should analyse cautiously the information gathered to determine its validity and reliability. This is because the research only uses one kind of research models and the argument generated about research topic. 3.3 Sources of Data 3.3.1 Secondary Data Secondary research data is the key resource of information incorporate in this research proposal. However, the different secondary resources might have different type of information. A guideline for obtain valid and reliable information from different resources therefore, has been designed which can found in Table 2. Type of information Resources that might have that information Established facts and figures Reference books; official publications; government web sites General information on a topic Books of collected articles; text books; web sites of relevant organisations Reviews of the literature on a topic Journal articles; books of collected articles Publications of recent research results Journal articles; proceedings of conferences Professional and academic debates Journal articles; web sites of relevant organisations; newspapers Table 2: The types of resources that provided different information. In order to justify the authors arguments and